Flatwork feeder truck



April 21, 1953 J. G. MuLvlHlLl.

ELATwoRK FEEDER TRUCK Filed Sept. 30, 1948 /NnsA/TOC Jams @Maul/#ILL Patented Apr. 21, 1953 ICE FLATWORK FEEDER TRUCK James G. Mulvihill, Chicago, Ill., assignor to David A. Freeman Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a V corporation of Illinois Application September 30, 1948, Serial No. 52,081

4 Claims.

l This invention relates to trucks or carts and, more particularly, to a feeder truck for use in a commercial laundry and the like for handling a presser, and there manually lifted from the truck and fed into the adjacent machine.

This operation, particularly the manually lifting of the damp clothes from the truck, was a laborious as well as time-consuming task. The task became increasingly more difficult the damper the clothes were when removed from the washer.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a feeder truck which will greatly facilitate the removal of the wet clothes from said truck regardless of their dampness.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a feeder truck which will expedite the handling of damp clothes so as to increase the eniciency and reduce the cost of the cleaning operation.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a feeder truck which is of simple, yet sturdy construction, effective in operation, and inexpensive to produce. Y

Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a feeder truck is provided comprising a movable frame having a pair of rotatably mounted, elongated reels disposed at either side of said frame, a flexible container suspended from said reels and having the sides thereof windably mounted thereon, and means for controlling the rotation of said reels. The controlling means are regulated by the operator of the truck so that the bottom of the iiexible container may be raised as the damp clothes are removed therefrom and fed into the pressing or drying machine, thus eliminating the need for the operator to bend over and lift out the clothes from the bottom of the container.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be had to the drawings wherein- Fig. l is a fragmentary top plan view of the feeder truck.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the feeder truck showing the bottom of the container in its lowered position ready to receive the damp clothes from the washer.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end view of the feeder truck showing the manually operable controls for raising the floor of the container; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end view of the truck showing a modified form of manually operable controls for raising the floor of the container.

lReferring now to the drawings, a feeder truck I0 is provided for use primarily in a commercial laundry for transporting bundles of damp clothes from the washer to the drying or pressing machine, comprising a frame I2, a pair of elongated reels I4 and I6 rotatably mounted on said frame, and an expansible and contractible container I8 suspended from said reels within said frame.

The frame I2, in this instance, is of a rectangular parallelepiped design having a base 20, to the underside of which, at the four corners thereof, are rotatably mounted rollers or casters 22, and vertically extending end plates or partitions 24 and 26 disposed in spaced substantially parallel relation at the narrow ends of the base and adapted to form two sides of the container I3.

Rotatably mounted on the upper end of plates or partitions 24 and 26 and arranged along either side of the frame are reels I4 and I6. The reels extend from one plate to the other and are adapted to act to a certain extent as a spacer for said plates. Secured to either end of the reels I4 and I6 and disposed on the outside of end plates 24 and 26 are sprocket gears 28 and 30 respectively which cooperate with other controls, to be hereinafter described, to cause said reels to be rotated in opposite directions.

Container or web I8, which is constructed of some durable fabric, rubberized, or plastic material, is suspended from reels I4 and I6 as above mentioned. The sides 32 and 34 of the container are windably mounted on reels I4 and I6 respectively and, upon rotation of the reels, the bottom 36 thereof is raised or lowered. The container I8 is substantially the same length as the space between the end plates. Resting on the bottom 36 of the container is a bottom element or floorboard 33 which retains the sides 32 and 34 in aysubstantially vertical position while belng wound or unwound from the reels. The board is substantially the same length and width as the container, and is vconstructed of some lightweight stiff material such as wood.

For regulating the rotation of reels I4 and I6, two forms of controls are shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 3, which is the preferred form, sprocket gear 30 which is keyed to reel I6 meshes with a pinion gear 40 and a gear 42. Gear 42 is rotatably mounted on end plate 26 and on its shaft 44 is keyed a second gear 46 intermediate gear 42 and the outside surface of plate 26. Cooperating with gear 46 is a chain 48 which also engages and drives sprocket gear 28 keyed to reel I4. Pinion gear 40 is rotatably mounted on end plate 26 and meshes with gear 30 and drives the same. Mounted on the shaft 50 of pinion gear 40 is a handle 52 which extends outwardly from plate or partition 26 and is adapted to be gripped by the operator. Upon rotation of handle 52 in a clockwise direction, sides 32 and 34 of the container are wound on reels I4 and I6 respectively and the bottom 36 of the container is raised. A pawl 53 pivotally mounted on plate or partition 25 releasably engages with the 'teeth of gear '40 land prevents lowering ofthe bottom of the container once it has been raised to the desired height by the operator. Alike arrangement of the operating controls is found on plate 24 of the frame, so as to enable the fcontainer 'to be adjusted from either end of the rra-me.

In the modified form for controlling the rotation of the reels, as shown .in Figa, .a :shaft is rotatably mounted on end plate or partition 2li and arranged transversely relative to axes of reels I4 .and lr6. Worms 5G and 5S formed on shaft `5d engage with gears '29 and '3&1 respectively, mounted on rreels ill and lli, and rotate said reels 4in opposite directions relative to one another. At one end Si? oi the shaft is mounted a 'handle '62 which ,may be .removed therefrom and mounted on the ,other end 162i of the shait so as to vmaire the .controls more accessible to "the operator. Like controls are also .mounted `on end plate 2li.

YThus Vit will be seen 'that a feeder truck has been provided 'for use 'in a commercial laundry and the .like .which ,will greatly facilitate the handling of damp vclothes regardless of their danipness during the cleaning operation so as to increase the eiciency and reduce the cost oi lsuch an yoperation.

While several embodiments 'of this Ainvention are shown above, it will Vbe understood that the invention is not to'be limited thereto, since many v.inodiiications may be ricade, and it is contemplated, therefore, 'by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fail Within Vthe true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

l. A variable capacity .carrier comprising a mobile supporting frame, a horizontally disposed vertically movable non-deformable bottom element, .a pliable Web mounted on and suspended within said i'rame .and having vertically disposed .side-'forming ,portions Wlndably mounted on Asaid trarne and ,a center portion interconnecting said ,side-,forming portions for supporting and sub- .tending ,saidbottoin element, said web cooperating with said supporting 'frame and bottoni element toiorma box-"Eke container having an open top, `and Ameans mounted-on said frame and operatively connected tosaid -web for simultaneously .effecting winding or unwinding of said ,side- Vforming web portions to vary the volumetric oa- `pacity of said box-,like container.

2. A :variable capacity carrier comprising an upright supporting frame having spaced upright substantially parallel end partitions and a pair for" spaced substantially parallel horizontally `dis- ,posed reels rotatably mounted on and interconnesting the upper edge oi `said end partitions, a vertically movable horizontally disposed 'nondeformable bottom element having a Width land iengthcorresponding sub 'tanti'ally to,'respective 1y, the spacing between said end partitions and the .spacing -between said reels, 4a-pliableweb disposed intermediate said Vend Apartitions and said reels, said Web having sideicrinirrglportionsWindably mounted on .said reels and a oenterportion interconnecting `said `side-forming portions and supporting' and subtending said Abottom element, said web having a Width 'corresponding-substantially to the `spacing between said end partitions and cooperating with said end partitions, `bottom element, and reels 'to form a box-:like container having an open top, and "means mounted on one .osaidend partitions and operatively connected ,to'looth of said reels "for simultaneously effecting winding or unwinding of 'the side-forming uporbtions of said web to vary the volumetric capacity oi said box-like container.

3. A device of the class described comprising an upright supporting frame having spaced upright 'substantially parallel end partitions, a pair ci :spaced substantially parallel reels rotatably 4mounted on said end partitions and extending -transversely therefrom, a pliable web having a `width substantially .the Same as the length of said reels ,and having the opposite edges of said web windable on said reels, .a non-deformable heightadjustable bottom element disposed intermediate 4said reels supported and 'subtended by said web and having a v`length ysubstantially 'ft-ire same as the spacing "between said end partitions and a 'width substantially the saine vas the spacing between said reels, and means for simultaneously controlling the rotation of ysaid reels; said means conivprising gears Vmounted on the corresponding ends of'said reels, a manually operated drive gear rotata'bly mounted on one `of said end partitions and in meshing relationship with one er said reel gears, -a gear rotatably mounted -on saidonefend Vpartition yand i-n meshing relationship with said one reel gea-r, yand :means -lior imparting lthe rotational movement o said gear 'mounted on said one vend partition to said lother yreel gear whereby said reels rotate in opposite directions :and at fthe samespeed d. A device or the class described comprising an upright supporting vframe having spaced substantiaily parallel end partitions, va pair .of spaced substantially parallel elongated reels disposed transversely relative to said end partitions, -reach of said reels being rotatably supported lat :opposite endsby said end partitions, a continuous -pliable web suspended from said reels, a nondefornlable bottom element disposed intermediate `said reels supported Yand subtended by said yweld-said weby traine, vand bottom-elementcoacting with one another to 4form a 'box-like container having substantial-ly vertical sides, da substantially yhorizontalbottom and arr-open top, -and means mounted on said frame for effecting winding and unvvinding of 4the vertical sides fof said container on said reels Ito vary the volumetric capacity of said container; said means comprising Ygears mounted 4on the corresponding ends :of said reels, a manually rotatable drive gear rotatably -rnounted on one -of ysaid -end partitions, :and

being vrnesliable.with fone-oi said reel gears, apair 'of coaxially varranged gears iotata'blymounted-'on Vsaid Vframe and havin-g one oi Asaid gears meshable "with said one reel `'gear land the other gear being operativeiy connectedV to ythe other -reel Agear `whereby said reels will rotate simultaneously 'in opposite directions and at the saine speed `upon `rotation Aof said fdrive gear.

JAMES G. MULVII-IILL.

References Cited in the `Ale of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

